Heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) disk drives typically include a HAMR head, a laser, and a magnetic recording media. The HAMR disk drive utilizes heat, typically in the form of laser light, to heat a region of the magnetic recording media. The HAMR head magnetically writes data to the media. More specifically, the HAMR head includes a slider and a HAMR write transducer on the slider. The HAMR head may also include a reader. The HAMR transducer includes optics, such as a waveguide, for directing light toward the air-bearing surface (ABS) as well as magnetic components for writing to the media. Because the media is heated, the media is more disordered, allowing for writing at a lower magnetic field.
In order provide the laser light to the media, the laser is typically optically coupled to the waveguide of the HAMR transducer. The waveguide is optically coupled to a near-field transducer (NFT) that is also a component of the HAMR transducer. A portion of the NFT resides at the ABS of the HAMR transducer. The NFT utilizes resonances in surface plasmons to couple light to the media. The magnetic components, such as coil(s) and pole(s), may then be used to write to a portion of the media heated by the NFT.
Although the conventional HAMR disk drive functions, various components of the HAMR disk drive may fail during operation. For example, the NFT and surrounding components may undergo thermal cycling. During operation, portions of the HAMR transducer may also be heated to temperatures significantly above ambient temperature. Such issues may adversely affect performance of the HAMR disk drive. Consequently, methods for testing the HAMR disk drive are desired.